Advertising displays



Sept. 9, .1969 L. s. meow 3,465,459

ADVERTISING DISPLAYS FilQd D60- 12, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 WINE AT YOUR BOTTLE STORE Ivveu run.

Lew/m1) same. 6:69

A Prone United States Patent "ice 3,465,459 ADVERTISING DISPLAYS Leonard S. Rogoft, 13 2nd Ave., Houghton, Johannesburg, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa Filed Dec. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 600,809 Claims priority, application Republic of South Africa, Dec. 17, 1965, 65/6,761 Int. Cl. G09f 27/00 US. Cl. 4028.1 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A display device includes an enclosure which has a screen for a window. The screen is illuminated from the edge. Along each vertical edge of the screen are power driven vertical rollers. The rollers move on an endless band of translucent foldable material with separate displays across the front of the screen. The band is bunched behind the screen in a plurality of random free folds. Means are employed in mOVing the band in a step-bystep manner across the screen and in coordination with a sound reproducing apparatus with a prerecorded message therein.

This invention relates to advertising displays and more particularly to displays which are continuously varied.

Advertising displays are known wherein projected images through photographic transparencies are continuously varied according to a predetermined programme of a series of such transparencies. In some case these displays may be coordinated with a tape recorded message transmitted through a loudspeaker system. These dis plays even when using mirrors for light reflection generally require considerable space to he set up in and also the equipment is expensive.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a continuous display which can be housed in a confined area and which, while providing an adequate display will nevertheless be inexpensive to manufacture and operate.

According to this invention there is provided an advertising display means comprising an enclosure with an illuminated screen forming a window therein, an endless band of translucent foldable material with separate displays thereon, said band located flat across the front of the screen and in a plurality of free folds in the enclosure behind the screen and means for the controlled movement of the band in a step-by-step manner.

The invention also provided for the displays to be litho printed onto a band of transparent polyvinyl-chloride or mylol 0r Celluloid based material and for the means for moving the band to be controlled by and coordinated with a recorded message sound reproducing apparatus.

A preferred form of this invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

'FIG. 1 shows the apparatus with front partially removed,

FIG. 2 shows the apparatus with the enclosure fully opened and the band removed,

FIG. 3 is a front view of the complete apparatus, and

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the electrical system for the display.

As shown the advertising display means has an enclosure 1 consisting of a rectangular boxlike structure having a visible screen 2 at one end adapted for mounting in a suitable display environment, to individually display different advertising legends. The enclosure 1 houses the screen 2 in any suitable manner and the interior 3 of the structure is shaped to allow an endless band of transparent strip material 4 carrying advertising legends Patented Sept. 9, 1969 thereon to enter and leave the enclosure 1 and to fall into a series of free folds 5 in space 6 therefor behind the screen 2.

Also in this space are mounted four small rollers 7 in two pairs, one at the top and one at the bottom of the enclosure 1. A shield plate 8 separates the rollers 7 from the free folded band 4 which latter passes through a narrow aperture 9 at the rear of plate 8.

The rollers 7 are arranged to engage the band 4 in a manner which ensures a limited predetermined resistance to the withdrawal of the band 4 from the enclosure 1 and across screen 2 and thus prevent sudden jerks.

A pair of pinch rollers 10, 11 are mounted in the enclosure 1 to engage the band 4 of transparent material and at least one of these rollers 10 is connected to be driven by an electric motor housed in the enclosure 1. A further free running roller 12 is located along the opposite edge of the screen 2 to the pinch rollers 10, 11 and this roller 12 facilitates the passage of the band 4 across the screen.

Roller 10 is preferably driven through pulleys 13 and a resilient drive belt 14 and the pinch effect will preferably be obtained by having roller 11 carried on the end of an arm 15 pivoted along its length at 16 and resiliently anchored at its other end by tension spring 17.

Through this mechanism the band 4 of material may be drawn across the screen 2 and, through suitable switching arrangements, one form of which is set out more fully below, in a step-by-step manner. The shape of the screen 2 and location of the rollers 10, 11 and 12 ensure that the band 4 while being maintained smooth over the front face of the screen 2 will nevertheless fall into neat folds 5 in the enclosure 1. This enables a long length of band 4 to be satisfactorily retained in a confined space.

The screen 2 above referred to may be made of clear acrylic material such as perspex or the like. The screen 2 is attached by any suitable means to the forward part of the enclosure 1 to be visible from in front thereof.

To facilitate the changing of one display band 4 for another the enclosure is made in two parts hinged together as shown at 18. A compartment 19 is formed in the upper portion of one part and the electrical circuitry components are housed therein as indicated by block 20.

One or more fluorescent tubes 21 are disposed across the upper edge of the transparent screen 2 which has a translucent or pearl finish on its rear face 22 and the three remaining edges are rendered opaque in any convenient manner to enable the light to be projected for wardly from the screen to illuminate the band 4.

This endless band 4 of transparent colourless polyvinyl chloride has, in this example, different advertising legends printed thereon by the litho process, the legends each taking up the same length and width of the band. The band 4 is adapted to move horizontally from left to right and to stop when displaying the complete legend in front of the screen 2. It will be appreciated that the display band 4 could be a colour or black-and-white photographic transparency. The band is parallel to the plane of the screen and is stretched across the front face thereof in its operating position.

A painted marker coordinating with a photo-electric cell is suitably positioned on the band 4 to form part of a switching device which works directly in conjunction with the electric motor.

A time switch may be used to restart the motor when the legend has been displayed for the required time.

The legends will be varied continuously and auto matically in a step-by-step manner and these advertisernents, will generally be synchronised with prerecorded sound message reproductions. These latter can most com veniently be tape recordings and signals on the tape may be used through suitable known types of circuitry to start the driving motor for the band at the termination of the sound message.

The controlled movement of the band in step-by-step manner is achieved in the following manner:

(a) The working cycle is initiated by switching on the current to both the motor and the fluorescent tubes. The tubes remain illuminated all the time the display means is in operation.

(b) Rotating or driving the motor for the driven roller is initiated by the time switch or signal from the tape recording and the display band then moves to change the legend.

(0) When the lengend is properly positioned the marker on the band 4 will interrupt the light source of the photoelectric cell to cause the current to the motor to be cut off and the band 4 will be held stationary.

((1) At the end of the sound message the motor Will be restarted to move the band 4 to change the legend, and the band 4 will move until a further legend is in dis playing position, whereupon the band will stop.

The cycle may be repeated ad infinitum. The advertising display according to this invention is a particularly compact structure and ideal for use in confined spaces such as, for example, public conveyances. The power for the device may then readily be obtained from the conveyance itself.

While the components of the electrical circuitry do not per se form part of the invention and may be varied to suit particular requirements the block diagram of FIG. 4 is given to illustrate one form of circuitry which can be made to operate satisfactorily by those versed in the art.

The electrical supply is obtained from battery 23 through control switch 24 to power regulator 25. Power is supplied through D.C. converter 26 to fluorescent tube 27. Similarly power is supplied to electric motor 28 the operation of which is controlled through the photo-electric cell components and time switching mechanisms 29, 30, 31.

Power is also supplied through the sound reproducing equipment having a tape play unit 32, automatic volume control 33 and volume sensor 34 in circuit with a suitable amplifier 35 and loudspeakers 36.

It will be appreciated that other control means than those described above may be used to centrally locate each successive display in front of the screen. For example a punched hole may be suitably positioned in the display band to form part of a switching device. The hole will be in such a position as to cooperate, once the legend is centrally disposed in front of the screen, with a microswitch having an upstanding rounded triangular wire operating arm and serves to switch otf the current to the driving motor associated with the driven roller. The microswitch and operating arm will be mounted in the enclosure adjacent the drive roller in a position which can be easily determined in practice. Other variations of this type of control means will be clear to those skilled in the art.

Also other of the components of the apparatus described above may be varied from the particular form described above. Such components are the flourescent tubes which may be replaced with different edge lighting globes and the band may be of different material such as Celluloid with legend applied thereto by litho or silk screening.

The frame 37 shown in FIG. 3 for the screen 2 can also be varied to provide different effects.

The preferred embodiment is thus illustrative only and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention claimed.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An advertising display means comprising an enclosure with an edge-illuminated screen forming a window therein, an endless band of translucent foldable material with separate displays thereon, said band located flat across the front of the screen in a plurality of free folds in the enclosure behind the screen, means for the controlled movement of the band in a step-by-step manner across the screen, said means including vertical rollers, one of which is power driven adjacent each edge of the screen, means for feeding the freely folded band from said enclosure, comprising upper and lower pairs of guide rollers, a plate mounted closely adjacent to one of said pairs of guide rollers and between said guide rollers and the folds of said band in said enclosure and providing both a shield therefor and an exit slot for feeding the band to the guide rollers, sound reproducing apparatus with a prerecorded message therein and means for moving the band in coordination with production of the sound message.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,031,605 2/ 1936 Jenkins 4028.3 2,064,115 12/1936 Holsman 4032 2,340,863 2/1944 Carpenter 4028.1 3,028,789 4/1962 Wade 4028.3 X 3,220,126 11/1965 Gabrielsen 4028.3 3,245,156 4/1966 De Bloois 40283 2,646,637 7/1953 Nierenberg et al. 40106.1 X

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner W. J. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner 

